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Sasso Guerrero Henderlite: Building The Family Law Firm

Jacksonville’s newest family law firm, Sasso Guerrero & Henderlite, is also its most credentialed. Molly Sasso, Christie Guerrero and Jay Henderlite are all board certified in marital and family law by the Florida Bar, which makes the firm the only one in Northeast Florida to boast three family law experts at its helm. The partners, along with their team of attorneys, focus their practice on helping clients successfully navigate complicated family law matters. No other firm in Northeast Florida offers clients this level of expertise and quality of service while encompassing such a broad array of family law matters.

Jay Henderlite, Christie Guerrero and Molly Sasso

Joining Forces

Sasso Guerrero & Henderlite merges two powerhouse law firms into a unique midsize firm with a focus on excellence.  Partners Molly Sasso and Christie Guerrero formed Sasso & Guerrero in 2019.  It was the only law firm in Northeast Florida with two board certified family law attorneys from 2020-2023.  They quickly grew the practice, adding four lawyers over the last three years.

Henderlite, a partner in the former law firm of Watson | Henderlite Family Law Attorneys, was impressed by the practice Sasso and Guerrero put together.  “I had been trying to figure out a way to grow my own law firm the way Molly and Christie had grown their firm because they created an excellent practice and were working like nobody else was doing or knew how to do. I went to Molly and asked what her secret was. She told me, ‘Hiring Christie,’ which I couldn’t do.” 

Fortunately, the admiration was mutual.

The three went to lunch in 2023 to honor Henderlite’s goal of achieving board certification in marital & family law. Henderlite thought the sole reason for the lunch was a celebration, but it turns out his soon-to-be new partners had secondary motives.

“Christie had the foresight to say, ‘[His partner] may be retiring. What’s Jay doing?’ Jay had the talent, experience and professionalism we were looking for. He was a natural fit,” Sasso says. 

They all agreed that Henderlite, along with attorney Paula Bartlett and his experienced support staff with more than 20 years of family law experience, would join forces with Sasso and Guerrero, creating a law firm that is unrivaled in family law expertise in Northeast Florida. 

The three partners share a similar, intrinsic philosophy to practicing family law.

“It’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” Guerrero says. “It’s always been in my mind. I never considered anything else. It’s my passion and what I was made to do. If I won the lottery, I’d still be at the office the next morning doing this work.” 

After the merger, the firm will have two locations, the former Sasso & Guerrero office on the Southside and the former Watson | Henderlite office downtown in the Cathedral District, with the partners looking to expand further, including into Nassau and St. Johns County. 

Family at its Core

Sasso Guerrero & Henderlite differentiates itself from other firms with its three core values. They have a strong desire and will to elevate the practice of family law by hiring the most qualified people.

“While we do believe we offer something special with the three of us, our firm is as successful as we are and as we will become because of the exceptionally intelligent and very skilled lawyers and staff members on our team,” Sasso says. “We have a rock star team. They are great at what they do, but they also genuinely care about what they do and for our clients to the same degree as the three of us. We certainly wouldn’t be the same firm we are today without them.”

The second value is putting a premium on client experience. “When our clients call, they have someone to listen and who understands what they are feeling. We get it,” Henderlite says. “We’ve done it. We know how to help. We put together resources outside the law such as counseling or financial services to help people transition to the next step in their lives.”

The third key value is expressed in the phrase “heart of gold and tough as nails.”  It’s the ability to treat clients going through a traumatic, emotional experience with care and compassion, while being fierce advocates on their behalf. The beautiful balance between these two virtues is what sets these lawyers apart.

“We can empathize, be sympathetic, but we can also go into court and do all the things we need to do to get our clients what they need while still understanding and helping manage the emotional load,” Henderlite says.

Christie Guerrero, Jay Henderlite and Molly Sasso

Family Struggles & Triumphs

Standing: Deanne Castro, Joshua Kelne, Keanna Broadie and Heather Visali. Seated: Christie Guerrero, Jay Henderlite and Molly Sasso

All three partners, and their attorneys, have their own life experiences that shape their practice. With families of all different shapes and sizes, they bring the knowledge of their legal practice along with the firsthand experiences of navigating similar situations to the benefit of their clients.

One of the partners has grown her family with IVF. One of the partners is an LGBTQ+ parent.  Two of the partners are adoptive parents and foster parents as well. They know how to handle any family law situation because they have been through similar family struggles and triumphs themselves.

“It’s not like we have some kind of superpower; we are all just people who have been through life, come out the other side, and can use our own life experience to help guide our clients out of whatever situation they find themselves in. There is inherent wisdom in having experienced life that you cannot just get from law school. That, plus our encyclopedic legal knowledge and courtroom tested trial skills, sets us apart,” Henderlite says.

“We do our best to make what is often the very worst, most traumatic time of a client’s life as easy as possible,” Sasso says. “We can be there. We can be responsive to what they need. Taking on that emotional conflict is too much for some lawyers to handle, so they don’t respond. Our clients don’t see that in our office.”

Shining the Light

The most obvious example of the “heart of gold and tough as nails” philosophy is Luciano’s Light, a charity founded by Sasso and Guerrero.

“Christie and I formed Luciano’s Light, which is named after my child who passed away as an infant of a heart condition,” Sasso says. “I wanted to do something to remember him.” 

While reading a post about a fellow “loss mom” seeking contributions through Go Fund Me to help with adoption and other legal expenses, the two concepts came together.

“It was like lightning striking,” Sasso says. “We can form a charity to provide free legal services to help people have rainbow babies – a baby born after a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss.”

The mission of Luciano’s Light is to assist families who have experienced loss in their pursuit of having a rainbow baby, whether through adoption, surrogacy, IVF, or other means that require legal knowledge and proficiency.

All three partners draw on their life experience to help their clients navigate the rough emotional waters of a family law case.  Guerrero says, “I am an adoptive parent and so is Jay. After Luciano passed away, Molly and I wanted to do something to honor his memory. I instantly fell in love with her idea – practice law and help families complete their family after a loss. It’s one of the bright spots of family law.”

Community Leaders

The three partners are active in the legal community and the community at large. All three are members of the Florida Family Law Inn of Court. Henderlite is the vice president.  Henderlite is also the co-chair of the family law section of the Jacksonville Bar Association.  Sasso and Guerrero were featured panelists at the 2024 continuing legal education program sponsored by the Jacksonville Bar Association’s family law section. Guerrero and Henderlite are presenting at the 2025 Florida Bar Family Law Section continuing legal education program. 

All three serve on various community boards. The partners’ community leadership is but one more set of achievements that underscore the value of this exemplary new enterprise.

At a Glance

Sasso Guerrero & Henderlite
(904) 619-1386
familylawyerjax.com

Southside Office

9191 R G Skinner Pkwy, Suite 703
Jacksonville, FL 32256

Cathedral District Office

218 E. Ashley St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202

Practice Areas

  • Family Law, including Divorce, High-Conflict Custody, Adoption, Assisted Reproduction Technology, Pre-Nuptial Agreements, Post-Nuptial Agreements, Paternity, LGBTQ+ and More

Partners

  • Molly Sasso
  • Christie Guerrero
  • Jay Henderlite

Attorneys

  • Paula Bartlett
  • Keanna Broadie
  • Deanne Castro
  • Joshua Kelne
  • Heather Visali

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